All Australians can be justly proud of the superb performance
of Australia's air, naval and Special Forces in Operation Iraqi
Freedom. America is deeply grateful for their important
contributions.

Prime Minister Howard has been a strong ally in the war on
terror, and Australian forces have played an important role in the
liberation of Iraq. Australian Special Forces entered Iraq with their
American and British counterparts at the very beginning of Operation
Iraqi Freedom.

The Australian military helped to secure sites in western Iraq
that could have been used to launch scud missiles. And they disrupted
Iraqi troop movements and command posts, paving the way for Army and
Marine units making their way to Baghdad.

Australia FA-18 fighters carried out deep bombing runs in
Iraq. The Australian Navy worked with British forces to take control
of the Faw Peninsula. Australian Navy divers cleared mines in the port
of Umm Qasr, opening sea lanes to deliver humanitarian assistance. And
Australian transport planes delivered emergency supplies and equipment
for Iraqi hospitals.

All told, about 2,000 Australian service members contributed to
the destruction of Saddam Hussein's regime and the liberation of the
Iraqi people.

Our coalition still has much work to do in Iraq. The
transition from dictatorship to democracy is hard, and will take time
-- but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our
work is done, then we will leave -- and we will leave behind a free
Iraq.